Its Twins

Followers of Q might say that I've received my first injection of microchips to ward off Covid 19.  On the whole, I would say that Belize has done a good job with the pandemic, but the vaccine distribution schedules were not well publicized, at least on the media I frequent.  I only heard about it by going to the hospital and inquiring to learn a mass vaccination campaign was taking place the very next day at the Community Center.  I showed up to wonder which of the four unmarked lines I should stand in to learn my first line chose was wrong.  After that things went smooth and efficient.  After receiving the shot we were required to wait awhile to make sure no one was suffering any immediate adverse effects.  We were then issued a packet of Tylenol and rehydration powder to mix with water before being released.  I suffered no ill after effects as one person I know has experienced and we were warned about during the wait.  I'll receive the second injection in about three months.

Above is a view down into the port hull footwell.  The oval shapes are access covers to bilge/storage area below.  The exposed faces are 1/4" plywood located by a smaller on 3/4" thick oval glued on below.  The cover, resting by the footwell lip, is upside down to show the locating oval.  Eight loose ovals for both hulls have been kicking around since early in the construction.  Some time was spent refining the locating ovals fits so that each of the covers drop into place very nicely.  Eight loose parts reduced to four, progress!

The companionway steps, the access covers and cabin sole (floor) have received a blue/gray antiskid coating.  I expect the antiskid will give a more durable surface than a painted surface, as well as providing improved footing.  It was very time consuming masking off and sanding the areas receiving the antiskid, but applying the antiskid goes very quickly.  This is followed by immediately removing the laboriously applied masking before the antiskid dries.  

An additional antiskid surface is needed at the bunk level or the long step between the steps and cabin sole.  Regular readers will know that each hull is provided with a removeable table surface that spans each hull's width above the bunk level.  Seating at the bunk level is too far away from the table to make it useful.  The solution is to build a movable seat that spans the footwell (bunk level) opening.  One side will provide a cushioned seat that can be flipped over to reveal a nonskid surface aiding entry and exit.  This solution will come at a later stage in the project.

Fiberglass is applied to the port hull companionway opening drain channels.  The cabin roof slopes towards the inner coaming and would encourage water towards the insides.  The sloping channels, cut at each opening edge, are meant direct water to the outside   The left side shows the fiberglass after the epoxy has set, but before the excess fiberglass is trimmed.  This fuzzy image shows the trimmed and sanded drain channel on the right side,

The port side now sports a companionway washboard.  Note the drain channels on either side of the companionway opening.  Completing the washboard required some 3/4" plywood that was not available in my scrap pile.  Some 3/4" plywood was set aside for a component I had not yet fabricated.  It was time to build this component and replenish the scrap pile.

 Above is the 3/4" plywood backbone for the aft beam.  Ignore jog in the shape, this is just an artifact from stitching two images together.  This beam will span the boat's sterns and support the aft trampoline.  Like the three other beams joining the hulls, this beam will have a triangular cross section with a gentle curve in one of the vertical and horizontal directions.  Its loads will be lower and it will have smaller dimensions than the remaining more heavily loaded beams.

This is the money shot, I now have twins!  Both hulls now have fiberglass and white primer applied on the upper surfaces.  The primer protects the underlying epoxy from degrading by UV exposure.